Cry of the Raven
by HadrianD
Summary: This is a sequel to 'The Bitter and the Sweet.' Pretty blatant shoujoai.
1. Chapter I

**Author's Note:** I know I shouldn't have created a whole new story but I wanted a reason for a perspective change. Writing from Minako's point of view wouldn't work for this section of the story. Next, I feel it was appropriate to let Minako's adventure be Minako's adventure. Loyal readers, I appreciate you very, very much. Defense Tactics class was cancelled again so I'm sitting in a Tim Horton's (locked out of apartment) to write this. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. 

**Disclaimer:** I disclaim Sailor Moon.

**Cry of the Raven**  
Chapter I

Once again, Minako walked from the busy airport and into the noisy but comfortable streets of another place she called home. It was morning, the bright sun shone over very familiar buildings. Everything about this second home was reassuring and soothing to her senses, but Minako knew she couldn't afford to lessen her awareness. A better part of the plane ride was spent asleep. If she were any less wounded, she would have found it hard to rest with all the thoughts running through her mind. 'Lamia…' the name was growled in her mind but she shook the thought. One thing was obvious to her; there would be no way to avoid her friends while she took care of this little mess she had made. She had phoned home using the phones available on the plane to tell her mother she would need to be picked up and surely enough, her mother had been waiting patiently for her when she arrived.

Beautiful, strong-willed and lively, her mother had always had the ability to gossip and converse as enthusiastically as a teenager. Aino Yumiko was like this for as long as Minako could remember. So when her mother gathered her into an energetic hug to express her limitless happiness, Minako did her best not to shriek in the most unbecoming manner.

"Oh, Minako, I'm so glad your home!" She exclaimed.

"Me too." Minako smiled. The truth was that she loved and hated being home. She wanted everything to be alright so that she could be here and be happy and feel more alive than she did at that very moment. "I missed you so much." She let her head rest on her mother's shoulder and took in the smell of her flowery perfume.

"You seem exhausted! I hope you weren't having too much fun without your old mother."

"No, I can't have that much fun without you." She yawned, "But I really am tired."

"Come on then, let's get you home. You can sleep in the car." Yumiko brushed her fingers through Minako's long silken strands as she always did when she found herself dumbstruck by her daughter's beauty. Minako found the act very heartening and was glad she was permitted to live long enough to feel it again. But while she tried to rest during the ride to her home, she found that she couldn't think of anything but the dying words of such a shallow enemy. These dying words that led her back home so abruptly were like poison to her ears. Nothing could be as venomous as the mere suggestion that the real danger had been in her real home all along.

_"Die. They will….all die."_ Minako sneered while staring out the window. The sound of that strangled, sultry voice made her stomach churn and her head pulse. Her concentration would waver and her heart would pound within her chest. The old witch Lamia and her last dying breath swore revenge and the completion of her mission. _"Scylla will take….vengeance. Take their souls… you can't save them. Not anymore."_

She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and tried not to envision what kind of chaos her friends may have been in without her. Perhaps they were protecting her while she thought she was protecting them? No. Minako knew for certain that Rei would have informed her leader had there been an incident, but Minako also knew that if Rei were to experience a vision it would likely be kept to herself until the images were made clear to her. A glance towards her mother, concentrating on the road, and Minako felt her eyelids begin to droop again. Her last thoughts were a of rough plan of action she knew she would need to take and the phone call she knew she would need to make once she got home.

* * *

_"… I feel like I've been here before." Whispered Rei._

_"You haven't." A disembodied voice broke the silence that surrounded a damaged location. A battlefield._

_"This is not a memory then…" Rei stood from her kneeling position to more closely survey her surroundings before the vision she was in was taken from her. "No. Of course not."_

_"I don't blame you. All battlefields are the same in the end. They have their own kind of beauty." The voice was playful but powerful. It was a fire and Rei understood the need to concentrate to control a flame._

_"Don't try to sell me that crap. There is no beauty in destruction." She replied coolly._

_"To each their own… but this field is different, I promise."_

_"Why…?"She wondered._

_"Can't you feel it?" The voice retorted._

_Rei was growing frustrated with the fire's incessant ability to be vague but she humored it and let her concentration fall upon the emotions amid the destruction._

_"I feel…lonely. Loss. There is loss here." She said._

"Good."

_"Why are you showing me this? …Please? It feels so bad." She struggled to breathe and dropped down to one knee. She covered her face in her hands and tried to slow her furiously beating heart. " Is this the future?" She panted._

_"A possible future. But you know much about time now. About how it shifts and changes it's mind. It is never spontaneous like fire. It makes its choices."_

_"Are you saying I can't change this? Damn it! What is this!"_

_"Patience is a virtue."_

_Rei snarled but took a deep breath. "I won't apologize. But you make it seem like there is no time to waste, so why not tell me…?"_

_"Even the gods have rules that they must obey."_

_"Setsuna—."_

_"The time guardian cannot help you. Now… you have a phone call."_

"What!"

Rei's attention snapped back to the room she occupied, kneeling in the robes she had always felt most comfortable in. The phone was indeed ringing… once she had calmed the fury she felt from the immature flame she had spoken to, she left the room to find the phone and lifted the receiver to her ear.

"Reeeeeeei-chaaaaaan!"

The truth was that Rei had consulted the fire that night because she had been having the that familiar funny feeling, though the feeling was far from funny. It was a feeling of complete loathed confusion. A feeling that took all the thoughts she had at the moment and made them into jumbled messages that urged her to meditate by that fire every night. And those feelings had taken to her even before she was a senshi. She was not in a particular good mood though. That fussy and juvenile fire spirit had left her frustrated. Dismissing her for something as small as a phone call.

She sighed. A distraction had always been like an itch she could not scratch. Like a word on the tip of your tongue. An annoyance. Like a phone call from Usagi.

"Odango…? Don't tell me you forgot your date with Mamoru-san?"

"Oh no… you sound irritated. Mako-chan! Rei's angry, can you talk to her instead!" Rei pulled the receiver from her ear when Usagi decided to shout into it.

"Don't bother. What is it you want? Did you forget how to tie your laces?" Rei teased.

"And I thought you grew out of making fun of me!"

"Old habits die hard." Rei replied with little attention spent on the actual conversation.

"You're so rude! But we're all going to be meeting up at Mako-chan's bakery." Usagi pleaded in her sweetest voice.

"Why?" Rei sighed.

"Because."

"That's pretty vague. I'm fairly busy… why should I go?"

"Because you love me?" Rei could imagine Usagi's expression, complete with a smile of purity and a gleam of naiveté.

"…….Right." She said dryly.

"Rei! I want you to be there. PLEASE be there. 12:00pm." Click.

The power to pull a person's concentration is a strong one. A force to be reckoned with. Rei knew that Usagi, though clumsy and childlike, always knew what to say to throw her off guard. She pulled some clothes from her closet and dresser.

* * *

"The nerve of her! She calls us here so that she can be late?" Rei had already expected this but that wouldn't stop her from being upset about it. She felt at least a little relieved that she hadn't had to wait alone. Of course Ami would be the first to get there.

"Rei-chan… she's with Makoto. I'm sure they have a reason." Ami assured her without taking her eyes from the page she was reading. At this point in their relationship, Ami had gotten pretty good at consoling her friends without breaking concentration. 'The joys of multitasking…' She thought.

"Oh please, you know Usagi-chan has the capability to make anyone late. Even you." Rei pouted and took a drink from her now empty coffee.

"… I see your point." Ami blushed and adjusted her glasses.

"I could be making sales right now. You know that we need the money. This is insane. If they aren't here in ten minutes I'm going to..."

Ami observed that Rei was obviously in a irritable mood. It didn't take a genius to notice that. It was also coincidental that she happened to be reading a book on anger management at that very moment. Yes, purely coincidental. She did all she could and told her good friend to calm down and take a few deep breaths. 'And stop drinking coffee…' she thoughtbut didn't dare say that out loud. She offered her friend a polite smile then dropped her gaze back to her book...

"You smell like fire." A voice. A playful voice, teasing but melodious and kind, was whispered into the ear of one very angry and uptight fire senshi. It was a sound beautiful and distracting enough to make Rei scrape her chair as she stood and turned abruptly in surprise by the warm body that appeared behind her. 'Aino Minako.' Ami started her thought witha hidden grin, 'that wasn't very nice.'

"You've been working too hard again?" Minako laughed softly and tapped Rei on the nose. Ami could swear that her proximity to Rei was making the war goddess a tiny but uncomfortable as she was backed against the table with no place to go. "Ami-chan… I thought you were going to make sure she didn't work so hard."

Rei was speechless. She was startled and confused and happy but mostly confused. She wanted to say something but nothing would come to mind. The goddess of love and beauty had surprised her. She could feel her face heat up and knew she was turning red. Ami smiled and noticed that faint blush that was covering Rei's porcelain cheeks. "You know how Rei-chan can be." She said as normally as she could.

The blonde allowed a soft sigh while she stared into Rei's eyes. "Oh yes, I know exactly how she can be."

"Surprise!" Usagi chimed in from behind with a smiling Makoto at her side. All the tension drained from the room with just one enthusiastically spoken word.

"We got a call from her earlier. She said she had just gotten home." Makoto explained. She waved to the young man who manned the bakery while she was away then took her seat beside Ami.

Ami watched as Rei seemed to shift her gaze from Minako to Usagi.

"Well… are we just going to stand here?" Minako sat across from Usagi, who stared at her twin with excitement. Reitook her seat at the end of the table. Ami thought the sight was hilarious. The two blonde's on either side of Rei were happy and free to wreak as much havoc on the poor girl as they felt necessary. A hand on her shoulder snapped Ami from her thoughts.

"You know… you're allowed to converse too." Makoto joked.

Ami blushed and smiled; the warmth of Makoto's hand on her shoulder was a comfort. "I was just thinking…" she smiled.

"I know. You're always thinking." Makoto offered her friend a gentle smile then turned back to the animated conversation at her side.

"She would call you at four in the morning?" Usagi went wide-eyed. "I can't imagine being up that early."

"Well… normal people don't sleep as heavily as cows." Rei said sarcastically.

"Mina-chan! Rei just said I wasn't normal! Defend me…" Blue eyes instantaneously went watery and Usagi puffed out her bottom lip.

"She also called you a cow." Minako stirred her milkshake.

Usagi forked an eyebrow and 'humph-ed' with exaggeration. "You're both mean today!"

Minako proffered a glance towards Rei who she had noticed watching her. "What's wrong?"

"… You're back." Rei sighed.

"I can go if you like." Minako teased with a smirk.

"That's not how I meant it!"

It was fun for Minako to be able to see all of her friends again. They didn't look worn or hurt or as though they had come against any trouble at all. And this is the way she would have it. Home with just enough time to keep the peace. To watch their smiling faces was a tranquility only broken by the sudden pain that shot through her lower back, accompanied by an immediate wave of quickly repressed nausea. She rubbed her eyes and stood from the table. "I really need to get going."

"Artemis and Luna should be here soon, Mina-chan… do you really have to go?" Usagi pouted.

"Yeah… I promised my mother I'd be home for..." Minako thought of a quick lie, "…a little bit of a heart to heart." Being the actress she was, and with little to help disprove the statement, most of them understood. She bid them all a good evening and night and left the bakery before any of them could bother to offer a ride home.

"Ouch." She said through clenched teeth, though ouch did little to describe the pain…

* * *

Rei was not stupid and that much was clear. Many presumed that just because she wouldn't say anything thatit meant she did not see that there was a problem. There was definitely a problem today. It was noticeable in the way that Minako would wince when Usagi would latch onto her from across the table. In the way she seemed to partially limp to her chair and out of the shop. Then again, maybe she had been watching Minako a little too closely… closer than most.

'Minako… what are you doing…?'

She prepped again to meditate by the sacred fire that night, even though she had promised Minako that she would avoid doing so when it was not necessary. She said that she should not expend so much energy because at any moment the soldier of fire could be called into intense battle… but this was when she was sick and weak. Did the promise still stand, even now?

_"Why is it so important you!" Minako pushed Rei away from the sacred fire's meditation room. She put herself between the volatile senshi and the door._

_"I just have to! You wouldn't understand. Please move." Rei's eyes were dark but she was tired and frail from a harsh fever._

_"It's killing you! But I guess that's something **you** wouldn't understand!" Minako replied angrily._

_"Look." Rei took deep calming breaths. "It's not a choice. It's a demand. I'm pulled here because I feel the need for my presence. I feel it trying to tell me things."_

_"Rei… I promise you," Minako took her friend's hands. "If there is something wrong, I will take care of it. For now you need rest. I know I'm bad at taking care of you… but I'm trying and you're not making it any easier. So just please…go back to bed."_

_"I didn't ask for your help." Rei grumbled._

_"No. But you needed it and everyone else is afraid of you."_

_"You should be too."_

_"Well, I'm not." Minako responded wryly. "Now march." She pointed off in the direction of Rei's bedroom and waited for the senshi of fire to start her way back._

The sacred fire warmed her as she took her usual position in front of it. On cold nights such as that one she found it comforting to feel the heat from her element. Rain pattered rhythmically atop the roof of the shrine and thunder rolled in the sky. Rei could feel that the sacred fire yearned to tell her something important. She tied her ebony hair back and prepared to meditate.

"Rin, Byo, Toh…" Her breath was drawn from the very pit of her lungs as she drownedherselfinconcentration. "Sha….Kai...Jin, Retsu…" The air seeped out slowly through her lips and the words were whispered and lost in the flickering flames. "Zai…Zen." Her mantra repeated until the fire formed shapes, grew larger and seemed to engulf her entire being. Her mind fell into an incredible light.

_"Welcome back." The juvenile flame voiced._

_"You again…?" Responded Rei, "And here I thought it was something important."_

_"We've only just starter and you're already wasting valuable time that you don't have… now listen to me…"  
_

* * *

"Venus! Love me chain!" It connected with air.

These demon's were relentless; were they stronger? Venus dodged attack after attack. They threw charged bolts towards her. The beasts were only detected when the bolts would light up the area. So her choices were limited and she was in no shape to be wasting energy in the way that she was by staying transformed for too long. She needed to take care of the problem quickly. Venus, scanned the building top from where she was ducked. She rolled from behind her cover and stood completely still. Waiting… just waiting.

A bolt shot towards her from her left and she rolled quickly to avoid it. Venus used the momentary light to locate one of the two and shot a crescent beam towards it. Before the brightness drained from the scene, she noted that the beam only clipped the demon's shoulder. Again, behind cover, she swore under her breath as she noted that her leg bled from where the bolt had slightly grazed her. While it was a risk, it was the only way she could do this without light. She had to take that risk.

She dashed back into the open, this time the bolt was from behind her. Before she could turn… before she could react in any way, the attack made contact with it's intended target and sent Venus hurling towards the edge of the building. She landed, back against the ledge and in unbelievable pain. To make matters worse, the monster had charged towards her and leapt atop of her limp and tired body. It held her down with one hand, as though she had any will to fight left in her, and lifted the other above it's head to delivera fatal blow. She couldn't bring herself to close her eyes as it's fist began it's decent.

Fire. An arrow of pure fire lodged itself into the face of the enemy. The force of the shot madethe monster'shead detach completely from it's body, rolling to Venus's side. The large body lay lifelessly across hers. Another arrow and the second monster was destroyed. Venus felt tears pool in her eyes… for now she felt more fear than she did when death lay only inches away from her. She weakly pushed the corpse off of her. Fatigued, she turned to see her savior. She turned to watch as Sailor Mars stood rigid, bow of flames in her hand that steamed when the rain water would make contact. A glare was fixed on her and no words were shared. She winced at the sight of that fierce and burning look. Mars bounded away before either could say anything they would regret.

* * *

Venus knew that Rei would not go to any other place besides the shrine at a time like this. She sighed and landed in the courtyard and detransformed. Minako limped into the shrine and looked first in the sacred fire room. Upon not finding her, she checked with every other room. Thoroughly confused, she stepped back into the courtyard just as Mars landed and detransformed herself.

"…I thought you would have been back before me…" Minako whispered.

"I patrolled. Is there anything else you should have told me? Maybe the truth?" Rei spat angrily while walking past Minako and into the shrine. The blonde followed. She hated that Minako had looked away as though trying to make a decision on whether to lie or be honest. Rei wanted to shake her until all that was left was truth.

"Don't lie to me, Minako." Rei whispered gravely.

"I didn't say anything!"

"The truth."

Minako looked as though she couldn't decide whether to yell at her friend or comply with her need to know. Her fists were clenched tightly at her sides.

"Were they in England, Minako? Has it been that long?"

"Yes, in England!"

Minako smoothed back some hair that had fallen onto her face and looked back up at the raven-haired priestess. Rei was angry still but she wasn't angry at her. No one ever understood the real reasons that Rei always got so angry.

"But when you called, you...you never said anything...you didn't sound..."

"In danger? Because I wasn't. You've never trusted my ability to lead. Rei, I made a decision! You were all so happy..." Rei did grab the girl but not to shake her. Rei just took her into my arms and held her tightly. She did trust her, she really did but that didn't mean she wanted to ever see her best friend get hurt.

"I couldn't let them take that away from all of you. Not after you all worked so hard for this peace." Minako seemed to struggle with her emotions as she rested her head against her friend's shoulder. Rei stepped away from her to find the blonde unsteady on her own feet. She fell forward into Rei's arms again and that was when she noticed the blood. The girl had not fainted but instead, she tried desperately to stand on her own, to escape the mess that this was becoming. Rei held her tightly until she stopped struggling. They both sank to the floor of the room they occupied. All of Rei's calming words which told her to relax were being ignored and it only ignited her anger. Rei patiently took a moment to examine the bloodied area. She began to carefully lift the thin sweater but Minako held her hands…

"You won't like... what you see... Rei." Minako sounded so weak.

Rei shook her head with impatience to convey that it didn't matter as long as she could fix it. She pulled the sweater up slowly, which was evidently very painful as it stuck to Minako's bloody wound. Minako gasped through clenched teeth and grabbed onto Rei's arms. Minako's head lay against Rei's shoulder.

"Minako... " The senshi of love was falling in and out of consciousness. Rei spoke very gently into her ear, relaying exactly what she planned on doing. Carefully, so as not to hurt her anymore, Rei bundled part of my robes by my shoulder. "Bite this. That's a good girl." She stroked Minako's silken hair. "I'm going to take this off now." Rei grasped the spoiled cotton once again and lifted very slowly. Minako, driven by the pain, clenched her teeth on Rei's robes; her shouts were muffled. Rei continued to remove the sweater and faltered only when she felt Minako's teeth bite into her shoulder. Rei grit her own teeth and endured while the sweater was pulled completely from the sticky gash and off of Minako's body. Thewound was...indescribable. It was deep and surrounded by a tattered old bandage. The blood that slowly trickled from it was of the darkest colors. Rei felt Minako's teeth releaseher shoulder. She looked at her before she spoke softly.

"It's...poisoned." She managed hoarsely before passing out completely.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hope you don't mind the viewpoint change. I was finding that writing from Minako's POV was really constricting. I kept slipping back into third. Sorry it took me so long. Next weeks chapter should be fun to write. 


	2. Chapter II

**Author's Note: **This is the third time I've written this chapter so you'll understand if it's really… bad. I'm not going to lie to you. I think this chapter is bad. We'll see how things work out.

**Disclaimer: **I disclaim sailor moon and pants. Yes…definitely pants.

Chapter II

Rei had decided it was a rotten night for sleep. At least, that was her inclination for staying up all hours of the night and trying to read the flames. They spoke nothing to her. While she had glared holes into the fire, it merely blazed on; a gigantic unfeeling inferno in front of her. What use was it to consult the fire when all the feelings inside her were overcrowding her mind? Rei had spent hours tending to Minako's battered body; replacing filthy bandages, nursing sprains that Minako had obviously been ignoring. And for the sake of what…? Rei knew the answer was rather obvious. A natural born leader would do anything to protect their soldiers, like a captain would go down with their ship.

Sadly, this did not ease any of Rei's feelings. The predominant emotion was that fiery rage that was consistently misunderstood. It was fueled by fear that she kept bottled because to panic would harm more than help. It was frustration created from worry about how she was supposed to fix the numerous situations that had just arisen. And she was furious with herself most of all. She blamed herself for not being there when Minako had needed her. She rubbed her tired eyes and gave the fire an indecent look of ungratefulness. It was frustrating to be given power but never enough power.

She left the meditation room. She would not give up even though all her efforts to remove the poison from Minako's wound were useless. It was no ordinary poison that they had ever dealt with. With a hand on the bedroom door, prepared to enter, Rei suddenly stopped. From within she could hear the makings of a nightmare, such sounds were recognizable to her. She sighed deeply and composed herself before entering. She watched for a moment as Minako's body twisted and struggled under the blankets. Her hair was spread sporadically on the futon and the blankets were bunched at her feet. A single hand shot into the air as though she were trying to push or grab something.

Rei silently shuffled towards her friend and kneeled by the futon where she knew Minako had for her many times. She leaned over her and took the girls outstretched hand, warming it with her own and pushing it back against the bed. She comfortingly shushed the girl, hoping to either lull her back into a dreamless sleep or wake her up gently. The later ensued as Minako's eyes half-opened weakly and adjusted to her dark surroundings.

"Rei…" Minako whispered; her voice exposed the pain she had been feeling. Where once it was melodious, now it was barely a whisper. It seemed to bear the echo of a sad song. It had surprised Rei to suddenly realize that Minako possibly cried like the rest of them, even outside of abnormal circumstances. She simply gave Minako a sad smile, not knowing how to bring happiness back into her friends watery blue eyes.

"It's hot in here." Minako was still half-asleep and very weak.

"You have a fever." Rei placed a hand against the girls forehead. "A bad fever."

Minako looked away. An apology on her lips but never leaving them. She endeavored to sit up on the futon, when she found herself too weak to do so, Rei aided her.

"While you were asleep I tried to dispel whatever was cast on you. I failed." Minako sat silently as Rei began to speak and unwrap a certain bandage from around her back and abdomen. The wound—carefully attended to—was beginning to heal but Rei knew that, that alone would not cure Minako. "Do you understand the severity of what I've just said to you?"

Minako nodded; she really did understand. However, if the conversation was the first thing on her mind, than she would have been able to retort. Instead, she found herself uncomfortable with Rei's intimate proximity. Her friend inspected all her wounds with the utmost care and hadn't left out curious touches to old scars. Though partially naked, she was not self-conscious of her body, even marred with those wounds and past battle marks, she was still beautiful. It was all so unfair….

"You…have to stop." Minako whimpered. Rei discontinued with the tracing of the light scar she had found on Minako's neck. It was the oldest of scars and a reminder of one of the earliest of lessons for Sailor V.

"I'm sorry." Rei frowned. "Bad memories…?"

"It's alright." Minako swallowed audibly.

Rei began to re-bandage the wounds very carefully and helped Minako to lay on her back again. The raven-haired senshi then laid on her side next to Minako, draping an arm over her stomach and watching her intently. The blonde wasn't sure she could sleep in that position. "…Have you told the others?" She turned to meet Rei's studious look, their faces barely separated.

"I should." Rei said.

"Don't."

"And what do you intend to do?" Minako could hear the fire spark inside her companion again.

"I'll continue."

Rei shook her head; displeased with the answer, she turned away.

"I just don't want them involved. I don't want you involved."

"That just won't be possible." Rei answered Minako's silent plea.

"Why…?"

"Because it is not the enemy which is getting stronger, Mina!" Rei finally burst, she sat up and looked down at her leader. "You're getting weaker! Whatever the enemy has done to you, it's draining you of your power! Rather than fighting monsters, soon you'll be fighting to stand!"

"I just need some rest. Just let me rest." She made a show of yawning to hopefully avoid that line of conversation. She closed her eyes and turned onto her side. So what if she were weakening? She would defeat her enemy no matter the cost. This was simply her fight. The peace of her family was at stake and that thought alone would be enough to keep her alive.

Rei sighed and leant in to place a kiss against Minako's forehead before leaving the bedroom quietly. She felt uneasy, a dark presence was prowling that night and all that mattered to Rei was that Minako hadn't felt it. She closed and leant against the bedroom door. Her teeth were clenched and her fists were balled tightly at her sides. It was injustice… why have peace at all if it would always be destroyed like this?

She zoned out.

"_Oh, so you've found the beauty in the battlefield…" Whispered a familiar flame._

"_This was abrupt, Spirit, what do you want?" Rei focused, kept control but understood that all her leads depended on this unruly flame._

"_Your friend is not well…?"It asked._

"_She is cursed."_

"…_What a pity. She's very special, you know?"_

"_I know that…"_

"_Not in that way, Moron. She is special because she was chosen for something extraordinary."_

"_Explain."_

"_Say please." The blaze demanded._

_She audibly grit her teeth together and very quietly complied with the spirit's demand._

"_Good girl." It seemed to make a show of clearing its throat. "Aviva has chosen her."_

"… _That means what to me?"_

_It sighed. "You know so little. Aviva is innocence. By now she would have certainly turned dark had your friend not lent her hope and a soul."_

"_What soul?"_

"_Her own soul, of course." It put a finger to its lips. "I suppose it was an accident though… you can never be too sure of what you human's do with your souls."_

"_Who are you…?" Rei asked suspiciously._

"_You have something more important to do then ask questions."_

To any observer, the conversation that had just taken place would have not lasted a single second but it had winded Rei all the same. She rubbed the sweat from her brow and steadied her breathing. 'Something more important…'

…The prowling evil lingered still.

* * *

This creature leapt rooftops. Humanoid, just like the last six that Mars had seen that night. 'Still ugly…' Mars thought with a smirk. Her strength and experience in battle, not to mention her exceptional ability to control her power, had allowed her to conceal her life-force and become undetectable in most cases. Still, she followed it carefully because while her aura was veiled she was still quite visible. She snuck closer, permitting herself a better look while it crouched to sniff the floor. It was certainly tall, scaled and visibly strong. If she assumed its energy allowed it to form similar bolt-like attacks as the others then she could presume that it could handle quite a battle alone. She cracked some of the knuckles in both her hands, triggering the demons senses. 'Time to go to work…'

The beast snarled and jumped to the next rooftop, continuing to the next after that. Rei decided against taking the monster out with fire. Setting the rooftops of innocent citizens ablaze was not in her repertoire. For Mars, the situation was more simple then it seemed, however, it allowed her to judge how Venus' condition was progressing. Last she had seen her as the love soldier, the girl was at the brink of death... her energy depleted after a fight with two of these same creatures. Rei had defeated them with rather furiously charged arrows… even that had seemed overkill.

It wasn't time to allow her mind to slip completely from the battle with the retreating enemy. Mars leapt high and landed in front of the creature. Before it had even settled, she tackled it and pierced it through the chest with her fire soul while on the decent. She landed without a scratch and cautiously looked around for any sign of other demons. She felt no other presence…

"_That was impressive. Though slightly brutal… you can be just like her sometimes."_

"_Who?" Mars asked._

"_The other one. Venus."_

"_Then I suppose that is a compliment."_

"_You would." It made a motion as though it were stretching then stopped mid-stretch and looked to Rei. "You know.. Aviva is trapped right now."_

"_Then I'll have to save her."_

"_There is far more to it then that."_

"_Then tell me!"_

"_Not enough time for now. Venus is awake."_

"Is this some kind of joke to you!" She fell to her knees and thrust her fist against the ground. For the second time that night, she was left rather breathless after her encounter with the fire spirit. It just wasn't a good idea to be taken into a vision or meeting with the spirits unless she was relaxed from meditation… it left her vulnerable otherwise.

"Venus…" Mars pushed her bangs out of her eyes and looked in the direction of the shrine, realization dawning…

* * *

She had sensed them in her sleep but only when they were far too close for comfort. Rei hadn't been in the shrine so she assumed that the fire senshi was already outside even though she hadn't sensed her. Venus had managed to lead them away from the shrine and into the forests that surrounded it. It seemed as far as she could go without leading them into the city and the last thing she wanted to do was destroy Rei's home. The tall, thick trees offered sufficient cover from the enemies. The night was dark but the Moon offered more than enough light for her to see.

So far, there was no sign of Rei and that could mean absolutely anything. Already, Venus was wracked with guilt. She quieted her thoughts when she spotted the hideous fiend approaching her hiding place. She attempted, for the second time that night to summon her chain… but there was nothing but air where the chain should have been. Venus shook her head and took another look at the nearing monster then flung herself out from behind the tree. It hadn't been much of a surprise attack but it gave her enough time to administer a rather vicious stomp to it's knee, snapping it backwards. The monster roared in pain, swinging its arms to defend itself while in a rather helpless state. Venus barely dodged and fully intended on making a run for it. She front rolled passed her opponent and had hoped to find another dark place for hiding but instead, her escaping one enemy had led her into a semi-circle of another three.

"I can't seem to get a break tonight, can I?" She asked no one in general and her opponents only snarled in reply.

They approached threateningly, their pointy teeth gleamed in the moonlight, accentuating the annoying grins they wore. She sneered and, without taking them from her sight, crouched to pick up a piece of wood broken from a tree, large enough to swing as a bat. She grinned widely, swinging at them a couple of times.

"Don't smile as though you've won." Venus said confidently, though all chances at escape seemed futile and her chances of winning a fight with a stick very slim, she knew she would survive this. Venus knew she would survive the moment she saw her… she hadthe fiery amethyst eyes of an angry raven that was about to attack it's prey. Two seemed to vanish into dust even before Venus could blink. But she watched the last two cower before her protector. Their attempts to attack the soldier of fury and hellfire were in vain and they were dead before they had a chance for defense.

Mars looked up from the remains and met Venus's gaze, still panting, still seething with the rage she had felt for those who would so thoughtlessly attack her home. Venus smiled awkwardly…staggering forward until she fell onto Mars. "What took you so long…?" She joked before fainting.

* * *

"You're awake…?" Rei's voice helped soothe the pounding in the back of her head.

"…How long was I out?" Minako rubbed her eyes before she rolled onto her stomach. Rei had taken a spot next to her, a book occupying her hands but obviously not her mind.

"Four hours and thirty-six minutes."

"… Please don't tell me you were counting," Minako frowned when she remembered the fight that took place not too long ago. "Where were you last night…?"

Rei didn't reply, instead she turned to the next page and continued reading. Though wanting to appear distant and deep into the book, Minako understood that Rei was just being avoidant.

"You were fighting?" Minako concluded.

"Of course… you can't expect me to just sit here. I can't tend to you, wake you, watch you drag yourself out of this bed—wounded no less—then have you fight, have you return to me exhausted… just to repeat this process.. you can't ask me to do that."

"You don't have to do this for me…" Minako buried her face in her pillow while Rei relayed the bitter truth.

"It isn't that I wouldn't take care of you, Minako. I would no matter what. But the mere thought that you may not return one night… I couldn't live with myself. I lost grandpa… and if I lost you too… who would fix all the things that would feel so bad? Who would be as brave as you had been when I was falling apart?"

Minako looked up from the pillow though she wasn't able to face Rei. "I won't be worth very much in a few days… am I important to you….?"

"Weren't you listening to anything I just said?" Rei answered; saddened by the melancholy tone of the blonde's voice.

"Mm. But I want to hear you say it." Minako sighed.

"Yes. You are important to me, Mina."

"Good. Because you're very important to me too." The soldier of love and beauty rolled onto her side and Rei watched her silently, a little too stunned to turn back to her book.

"I'm going back to sleep… Goodnight."

"More like, 'good morning.'" Rei grinned.

* * *

**Endnote: **I know that I've done better, but for some reason, the last three days have not been very good for writing. I'm just glad I can move on from this point. Thanks for your patience and I hope you've at least enjoyed the chapter. 


	3. Chapter III

**Author's Note:** Sorry for my absence and lack of updates. My college had decided to go on strike and even with an abundance of time on my hands I still felt unable to write. When I do actually sit down to write, I find everything I type out really… mechanical. Like a robot is narrating. Weird, isn't it?

**Disclaimer: **I disclaim privacy because I haven't gotten any in a while. I also apologize for typos ahead of time!

CRY OF THE RAVEN - CHAPTER III

* * *

It was not a bright and sunny day; the grass in the park was damp with morning dew, the skies were dark with heavy gray clouds, and there was a threat of lightning-storms. If any of that had mattered on that particular morning and at that particular moment then Minako would have found the strength to complain. However, she was a strong believer in dreams and the protection of the one she felt she was having at that moment. 

She had felt defeated at first because she thought she had escaped dreaming of a certain lovely dark-haired miko. Nevertheless, she sighed with the warm feeling of relaxation and nestled further into the soft, cloth-covered chest; enjoying the familiarity of the dream.

Her lips spread into a slow smile as she watched her hand intertwine with another and enjoy a peaceful game of stroking. Her gold tendrils lay atop her own shoulders, sliding lazily over them, falling in and tangling around some strands of raven black. The large tree she and her guest lounged under offered a decent amount of unnecessary shade, only adding to the coolness of that day. Luckily, the body she dozed on was warm and supple. It was a satisfying situation only accurately described in one word: Ecstasy.

"Minako-chan is a sleepyhead!" Offered a cheerful intruder. Usagi cackled like a clumsy dope and forced an ice cream cone into the tired blonde's view.

Minako snapped out of her tranquil daydream and hastily absorbed her surroundings. The day was not bright and it was definitely quite cool, truly made warm by the body she had been resting on. Recognition left her blushing and she pushed herself off of her best friend's body. Rei could only gaze elsewhere somewhat uncomfortably.

"You're all red," The louder of the two blonde's placed a hand against her could-be twin's forehead, "… has she been sick, Rei-chan?"

Rei's unwillingness to lie to her friend left her silent. Minako quickly and complexly began to explain away her flushed features and constantly tired state in such a way that would simply confuse the Princess. Minako assured Usagi that she would be well soon and the smaller of the two seemed content with that promise of wellness. It led Rei to wonder how many times she had been lied to.

"Will you be staying with Rei all the time again, Mina?" Usagi smiled sweetly, her tone was innocent yet suggestive and Minako caught every bit of it.

"I often hear from my health inspector that our little Pyro has been over-exerting herself quite a bit… if she isn't careful, she will definitely have me to deal with."

"Over-exertion doesn't seem to be in my cards anymore." Rei glared angrily.

Between Minako and Usagi, her temper had been forced far too many times that day. Listening to Minako lie was excruciating. Rei had spent several nights, sending her friend off to battle only to follow her into it at a later time. Minako was always appreciative of her help, but time after time she asked Rei only to live as normal a life as she possibly could.

Now the pressure was beginning to kick in, time was falling off the clock and Minako did not seem to be any closer to the enemy than she was when it all began. To make matters worse, Minako still refused to relay any information on her exploits in England.

Usagi stood suddenly and began shouting happily towards the others who arrived. She took off, sprinting towards Makoto, Ami and the food.

"What about your life…?" Rei asked as though thinking aloud.

"How many times must I explain?" Minako sighed and began rubbing her arms for warmth.

"Until I am satisfied with the answer."

Minako thought for a moment, knowing the answer and saying it could be completely different at times. If one were to say what they thought incorrectly, then what they thought could be misunderstood. "This is my life."

"Is there no distinction between what Sailor Venus wants and what Aino Minako wants?" Rei asked.

"You know very well that Aino Minako was first and foremost Sailor Venus; a guardian and princess of the past. I will fight no matter what. I am not simply defined by my powers but by what I would do to defend peace, love and dreams. That's who I am."

Rei did not feel comforted by Minako's certainty. She couldn't believe that beneath her friend's surface, she only aspired to be a hero. Some kind of sacrifice for the good of all things.

"Aren't you afraid?"

Minako smiled and waved as the others approached. "I have been both a leader and a loner in this lifetime. I find that they can be similar at certain times." Minako looked around than scooted back towards Rei. She rested her head against the fire soldier's chest and closed her eyes. Softly she continued, "As both, I find that I am always deeply frightened."

Remembering the awkward appearance this position last left the raven-haired miko in, she frowned and took to lying next to her. Rei leaned her head back against the tree and closed her eyes, breathing deeply she concentrated as best she could in such a noisy environment.

* * *

With such an unexpected call for a trip to the park that morning, it was pleasant to be able to relax that evening, at least momentarily sheltered from the pouring rain. Of course Minako could not go to her own home. She was still deteriorating from sickness and so excuses were made as well as the appropriate phone calls. 

Her mother had always been upset with Minako for her long absences but the blonde had always been the disobedient type. Rei sighed with that thought and watched her dinner get cold. Minako's bowl of instant ramen sat untouched as well. Both girls felt nervous and both were obviously deep in their own thoughts.

"Should I…" Rei chanced at conversation but was interrupted.

"Stay here? Yes, definitely. That's a brilliant idea." Minako smiled sweetly.

"You know that wasn't what I was going to say." Rei replied impatiently.

"But it's still what I want you to do." The blonde said.

"What about what I want?"

"…You're so stubborn. Don't you ever give up?"

"Where your safety is concerned? Hell no!"

"That's sweet." Minako continued to smile contently than mumbled, "…you should try that on Usagi."

"…What?"

"Nothing… I'm going to get ready." Minako sighed, stood and began limping towards the door. The other girl only groaned and followed Minako out of the room, lending her support as she carefully walked back towards the bedroom.

"Spirits are restless tonight." Rei muttered. The rain water crashing against the rooftop created an eerie beat. The wind howled and thumped against the sides of the house.

"That's pretty spooky, Rei." Minako said through a wince.

The crash of glass surprised them both and Rei was the first to catch sight of the small beeping object which rolled towards them.

"Bomb!" Rei took Minako by the arm and began to sprint towards the entrance of her home.

Overtaken by panic, they had narrowly avoided the explosion and though it was small, the force still sent them airborne amongst the debris. Clutching the blonde to her chest, Rei landed harshly against the ground and rolled to shield them both from further explosions or attacks. When neither occurred, Rei risked sitting up. She wiped blood from above her left eye and studied the remains of her home in a kind of silent shock.

Minako was speechless as she watched the raven-haired girl kneel with her head hung. Her long tresses obscured her face but Minako knew she was crying by the way her shoulders shook. The temple stood but the living quarters were in chaos, still being torn by some rebellious flames that the rain could not devour.

"Rei…" Minako hesitantly put a hand on her back. Her friend seethed in anger and that much was obvious. There would be hell to pay for this attack. Surprisingly, the fire senshi leapt from her spot and pinned the wounded soldier beneath her. Minako gasped from the impact on the ground.

"Minako! Tell me everything you know! And don't you dare lie to me!" She gripped Minako by the shoulders and shook her violently against the ground. Minako felt lifeless beneath her. She had meant to protect them by returning… but this was, in essence, all her fault. She watched the fire fight to consume what had become her second home over all the years as a senshi. It was Rei's only home.

"I'm sorry." Minako whispered; her head pounded and her ears rang because of the explosion but Rei only shook her again. The dead look in the love soldier's eyes did little to frighten her, it simply angered her more.

"Don't run and hide in there! Tell me!" Minako whimpered weakly at Rei's fierce interrogation.

Before Rei could continue, the heavy breathing and exposed aura of enemies brought promise of battle. Rei did not falter in transforming. Super Sailor Mars stood fuming. Her anger was a fuel for an insatiable fire. There were eight of them, maybe ten...maybe more. It didn't matter. Mars wanted war, her home would become a battlefield and she would soak it in the blood of the enemy. There were all kinds of beasts, each of which would soon be nothing but a corpse. Mars wanted to ignore the wailing of sirens which grew louder with each passing second.

A past conversation with her annoying flame spirit suddenly came to mind…

"_This would be a mistake."_

"_What are you talking about, now? I haven't done anything."_

"_You will if you are not careful."_

She clenched her teeth and growled wildly. It was a war cry of frustration as she fell back, collected the stunned Minako and retreated from the scene. The monsters were rapidly pursuing them. They would need to get far from the scene and into hiding. She landed atop a hotel building and laid Minako there to rest momentarily. The girl was unusually faint and feverish.

"Are you okay?" Mars asked.

Minako only nodded.

Mars placed a hand against her friend's forehead. "No you're not."

The crushing of the rooftop behind Mars was enough to let her know that they were no longer alone and luckily her fury was far from extinguished. She did not hesitate. Mars seized the closest to her, easily avoiding its clumsy attacks and began to batter it. She leapt from it corpse and attacked another. There was not any time to falter, nor would she had she had that time. The adrenaline coursed through her veins and her rage only increased with each fatal blow.

The remaining few enemies were cautious but not visibly intimidated by Mar's shocking display of hostility. She stood panting in the midst of the graveyard that rooftop had become. But glancing back to Minako, she felt the inferno inside her dim. The blonde's shoulders drooped miserably; her henshin pen lay lifelessly in her hand. Tears she could not bother to stop streamed down her cheeks. There would be no Sailor Venus and their time in finding a way to cure the ailing love goddess was running even shorter.

That thought brought Mars' temper to a boil once more and she looked back towards the repulsive demons which awaited destruction.

* * *

Rei had checked them into a nearby motel. Her savings weren't enough to buy luxury but all they had needed was a roof and four walls. And a bath. Disheveled appearances were never explained very easily but money bought silence. She was still angry when they had gotten there and she would not admit to overreaction. The miko was being as patient and co-operative as she could be considering the circumstances. 

Her home had been destroyed. Minako was unable to transform. The enemies were becoming stronger and the bruises Rei had sustained from her rooftop skirmish were proof of that. Still… the thought of losing Minako made her nervous the most. She wondered if she would be strong enough to save her… nothing ever made her doubt her power so completely.

Rei entered their rented room and approached the bed that Minako had taken to curling on. The blonde shivered in her wet clothes.

"I brought towels… Do you want to take a bath?" Rei asked.

"Go away…" Minako sniffled.

"No." Rei sat on the edge of the bed. "Why the hell should I do that?"

Minako chose silence.

Rei shook her head and took one of the towels from the pile she had claimed. She pulled the struggling blonde into a sitting position and admonished her for being tenacious. Rei tugged the wet, old volleyball jersey that Minako wore until it was free from the blonde's body and hair. She wrapped a towel around the shivering girl's shoulders and carefully massaged some warmth into her arms.

"Please just leave me alone…"

"You never left me alone. Just shut up and let me take care of you." Rei sighed.

Rei continued to disrobe the blonde while drying her off and kneading aching muscles. She left only to fill the small washroom's bathtub with hot water and the oils she had collected earlier. With little help, she managed to get Minako into the water. The blonde was unresponsive for the most part. The fire soldier only shook her head, picked up a cloth and began to wash her friend.

"I bet that's starting to feel a lot better." Rei sighed, soothed by the scent of the bath.

Minako seemed to warm up rather quickly and though Rei was still fully clad in her cold and damp clothes, she felt herself warm up too each time she touched her friend. Rei was riddled with concern about her friend and her future. Minako seemed as though she had already given up and this caused a seriously disagreeable pain within the miko. Her friend's aura was so dim. They needed to take action that night and without further hesitance but Rei did not want to push the blonde further into herself by having another impatient outburst.

Minako's own thoughts churned within her. Rei's touches served to confuse her. She felt as though she were a failure for not being able to protect what was dear to someone she loved so much. She knew Rei was angry with her. All she could remember was how cross the raven-haired girl had been when she had been shouting at her. But the way Rei would touch her conflicted with those memories… and again nothing made sense.

In the square that was that bathroom, Minako found that there was no where to run from how much love she felt for the girl beside her. There was never any way to escape the feelings she had for Hino Rei and that scared her. She couldn't love. Not for reasons as clichéd as being hardened and unable. She was simply cursed in too many ways and experiences lead her to believe in those curses fully.

But that night she had committed something atrocious by not protecting her friend's home. In a way she had betrayed Rei…

In English, "I feel very strongly about you…"

Rei glanced at Minako confused.

"I'm such a coward." Minako continued in her second language. She leaned closer to Rei, taking hold of the other girl's collar and grasping tightly. Her own breathing became awkward and her nervousness was evident as she pressed her lips against Rei's.

The kiss made heat where Rei was cold. The miko's reaction had been sluggish but appropriate as she began to return the endearment. Rei let her hand drift against Minako's cheek and slowly entangled itself in golden tresses. But than her eyes shot open and she fell away from the kiss as quickly as she could; panting to regain her breath and composure.

Minako frowned and looked away. "How thoughtless of me…"

"Minako…"

The blonde turned a bitter look towards her friend and in a voice to match it she sneered, "…She won't ever love you… Not like I do."

Rei had winced at those words. She wanted to be angry… but she hadn't anything in her to fight what the other girl had just said to her. Instead, she simply left the room. She needed distance. Anything else than to face what her friend had just said.

* * *

**Endnote:** Hope you liked that one! Once again, sorry for the lack of updates. 


End file.
